Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-11-24
SHELTER FOR CATTLE.
an Interesting Extract From Leading
Irish Agricultural Journal.

1t is everywhere admitted that
when cattle are provided with shelter
from winter storms and cold, they
will thrive better and return greater
profit for the food consumed. How
aver. there is an account given in tho
Farmers Gazette, Dublin, of tho
method followed by some farmers
there. who succeed in raising fine
,lass of stock without doing any thing
for their protection during cold
weather. We copy rs follows:
ITO no branch of farming has more
Intelligent attention been directed
than to the object of shelter for stock.
and from time to time every plan has
been adopted which architectural
talent could devise or suggest for
providing the animals of tho farm with
house and shed accommodation during
the winter. Every new plan seems to
excel all that ever came before it in cf-
fccting such n structural combination
as will secure comfort, healthy vcntila-
ton and convenience, together with
economy of labor in distribut ing the
food and performing every necessary
operation.
1.-THE farmer or stock-owncr who
would ut tho present day venture to
argue against the introduction of mod
crn improvements. or represent them
rs innovations which could very we'll
have been done without, would newt
ably be looked upon by those to whom
he vcnturcd to express his opinions rs
remarkably deficient in intellectual
capacity. and so far behind his time as
to be unfit to compete for living with
men of moro advanced ideas. Anon
alous, however,. and almost impossi-
bic as it may appear at first sight 1t
can not he denied that in one branch
of farming in this country the ideas
and opinions of scientific men arc com.
pletely set at defiance, and no depart
urc from the practice and style OF n
hundred years ago OF more has ever
taken place. Notwithstanding the com
plc,e revolution which has passed over
the agriculture of the United Kingdom
during that time. The striking pccu-
liarity is fully represented year after
year by those farmers who adhere to
the primitive system of wintcring their
cattle in the open fields by night and
day. utterly regardless of tho we'll
known hygcian law, which requires
shelter from the strong and cold blasts
Of winter. or an equivalent in
extra food to make up for the
loss of natural heat from tho system of
the animals. 1t must be admitted that
these men. although following a course
which the theorist or amateur farmer
would utterly condemn, do so with
such a remarkable amount of success
that they desire no change. continuing
the same system year aftcrycar. bring
ing their stock to the grass in the most
healthy and thriving condition posi-
bic. and paving their way in many
cases with greater certainty than those
who make the most elaborate arrange
ments for the comfort and wcll-doing
of their cattle. On the very best feed
ing lands in Ireland the farmers arc
welded to this system, and make no
preparation whatever for housing
stock during the winter months. A
very familiar example of this is to he
found on the rich lands of Limerick
and Tippcrary. known rs the golden
vein. the pastures being covered with
Young cattle during the winter, which.
although having been exposed 10 all
the vicissitudcs of most severe and
uncertain climate. yet lay on flesh with
extraordinary rapidity from the in
stan, they meet the new growth, and
are. a. n general rule, the first grass
beef to cross the channel or to be
found in the markets of the south.
Wintering cattle in fields is not. how
ever, confined 10 the richest feeding
lands as in this instance, but is car
ricd out with more or less success, &C.
cording To the treatment the animals
receive on every variety OF light soil
from the plain to the mountain. How
ever macquaintcd with such system
of feeding stock, it will be clear to
every practical farmer that TO keep
cattle thus exposed to the Indictment
weather of winter and spring in q
moderate degree of comfort, and in
thriving condition, they must be
abundantly supplied with food. apart
from and altogether cXtrancous of the
pastures. however rough and full OF
grass they MAJ have been left at the
close of the previous season. For this
purpose hay is ut once the food most
easily procured, the most convenient
for distribution. and in every way the
most suitable for feeding cattle in the
field during winter. within reach OF
Il. alt Int ~